2017 Honda Indy Toronto
The 2017 Honda Indy Toronto is the 12th race of the 2017 IndyCar Series season. It will take place at the Exhibition Place in Toronto. Will Power is the defending champion, having won it in 2016. Drivers entered The winner of Kelly Clarkson vs. Amy Schumer and Bindi Irwin vs. Chrissy Metz, Mikhail Aleshin will miss the race and will be replaced by Sebastian Saavedra. ;Chevrolet * Hélio Castroneves * Simon Pagenaud * Will Power * Josef Newgarden * Conor Daly * Carlos Muñoz * Spencer Pigot * JR Hildebrand ;Honda * Takuma Sato * Marco Andretti * Ryan Hunter-Reay * Alexander Rossi * Max Chilton * Scott Dixon * Tony Kanaan * Charlie Kimball * Esteban Gutierrez * Ed Jones * Graham Rahal * James Hinchcliffe * Sebastian Saavedra Mikhail Aleshin was the original driver in the 7 car. USF2000 Practice Qualifying Race Qualifying 2 Race 2 Indy Lights Practice Qualifying Race Qualifying 2 Race 2 IndyCar Practice 1 Team Penske came out on top, with last week's race winner Hélio Castroneves topping the session. His teammates Josef Newgarden and ESPY nominee Simon Pagenaud were 2nd and third, respectively. MLB Legends vs. NBA Legends and NFL All-Stars vs. NFL Legends finalist Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal posted the best times for non-Penskes and Honda engines. Practice 1 Results Practice 2 Another Team Penske driver came out on top, this time it was Hélio Castroneves' teammate Simon Pagenaud who was nominated for an ESPY for the Best Driver award but lost to Lewis Hamilton of Formula 1. Will Power, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal and Hélio Castroneves round out the top five. Pee Saderd brought his MLB Legends vs. NBA Legends and NFL All-Stars vs. NFL Legends form back by finishing 6th, a best for the Russian outside Celebrity Family Feud since Iowa practice 1. Josef Newgarden, Apolo Anton Ohno, and last week's podium finishers Pidgeot and Ryan Hunter-Reay round out the top ten. Practice 2 Results Practice 3 Team Penske continued to the dominant team in practice, with Simon Pagenaud topping the session followed by his Team Penske teammates Hélio Castroneves, Will Power and Josef Newgarden. Practice 3 Results Qualifying Seeds However, since Mikhail Aleshin isn't racing in Toronto, the standings are top 16 entering Toronto, in which these seedings would have been used in Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. Rick Fox and Boy Band vs. Girl Group. Scott Dixon (Qualified) Hélio Castroneves (Qualified) Simon Pagenaud (Pole Winner) Will Power (Qualified) Josef Newgarden (Fast 12) Graham Rahal (Qualified) Apolo Anton Ohno (Fast 12) Larvesta (First round) Metagross (Fast 12) Chespin (Fast 12) Jonathan Bald (First round) James Hinchcliffe (Qualified) Pidgeot (Fast 12) Ryan Hunter-Reay (First round) Pee Saderd (Fast 12) Mario Lopez (First round) Ueli Kestenholz (First round) Allen Ford (First round) Beartic (First round) Magearna (First round) Sebastian Saavedra (First round) Group 1 Will Power, Graham Rahal, Apolo Anton Ohno, Helio Castroneves, Pidgeot and Pee Saderd advance to the Fast 12. Magearna, Jonathan Bald, Ueli Kestenholz and Mario Lopez fail to advance. Group 2 Simon Pagenaud, Metagross, Josef Newgarden, Chespin, Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe advance to the Fast 12. Larvesta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Allen Ford, Sebastian Saavedra and Beartic fail to qualify. Fast 12 Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Helio Castroneves, James Hinchcliffe and Graham Rahal 'make the Fast Six. '''Josef Newgarden, Metagross, Chespin, Apolo Anton Ohno, Pee Saderd and Pidgeot '''start positions 7-12. Had Josef Newgarden advance, all four Team Penske cars would have made the Fast Six. Fast 6 * 'Simon Pagenaud * Hélio Castroneves * James Hinchcliffe * Scott Dixon * Will Power * Graham Rahal Practice 4 Team Penske continued to dominate Toronto, with Josef Newgarden topping the session, followed by his teammate Simon Pagenaud. Starting Grid Race Because of a different qualification due to Joey Fatone's Celebrity Family Feud participation in Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. Rick Fox and Boy Band vs. Girl Group after the race, unseeded had to beat the seeded players, especially Pee Saderd who was 15th in the point standings, would have been seeded 30th, almost falling out of seedings. Simon Pagenaud led Graham Rahal and his other Penske teammates to green, but last week's race winner Hélio Castroneves took the lead. An unfortunate yellow flag came out for Will Power spinning in turn 3, and Scott Dixon was also involved as he pitted for repairs from the crash with Power. Allen Ford and Ueli Kestenholz pitted during the caution. Because of the incident, it is most likely Will Power will be seeded in Funny Gals vs. Funny Guys and Louie Anderson vs. Christina Milian lower than Graham Rahal. Lap 6 saw the green flag return with Iowa winner Hélio Castroneves leading Simon Pagenaud and Graham Rahal. IndyCar gave a penalty to Scott Dixon for more than required work in a closed pit lane and Dixon was forced to enter the pit lane for his penalty and then exited safely out of pit lane. Larvesta made a charge from their P14 starting position, and passed MLB Legends vs. NBA Legends and NFL All-Stars vs. NFL Legends winner Pee Saderd for P8. Pidgeot lost positions to Jonathan Bald and Magearna. However, laps later, Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. Rick Fox and Boy Band vs. Girl Group top seed Pee Saderd lost from P9 to P11, with Magearna and Jonathan Bald passing the Russian. Magearna improved between Laps 18-20, passing Pidgeot, Jonathan Bald, Pee Saderd and Larvesta. During this first sets of pit stops, Metagross, Chespin and Ryan Hunter-Reay entered. James Hinchcliffe, Larvesta and Pee Saderd entered the next lap. On lap 22, the second yellow of the race came out with Larvesta spinning, meaning that every driver will pit for fuel during the next laps or so, but Jonathan Bald nor Ueli Kestenholz did it during the caution. Josef Newgarden took the lead after the other drivers pitted during the caution and Newgarden did it before Larvesta hit the tires. Lap 27 saw the green came back, with Josef Newgarden leading the field from Jonathan Bald and Ueli Kestenholz. Apolo Anton Ohno, seeded 3rd in Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. Rick Fox and Boy Band vs. Girl Group, went out from pit lane later than Magearna. On lap 33, Jonathan Bald finally entered pit lane for fuel after running 32 laps on these tires. Pee Saderd passed fellow Big Seven member Mario Lopez for P5 on lap 34. After not pitting since lap 8, Scott Dixon entered the pits for fuel and dropped to P17. On lap 37, Ueli Kestenholz finally entered the pit lane for fuel and dropped to P14. On lap 49, Beartic was forced to give up a track position for blocking Ueli Kestenholz's car. Shortly after Beartic gave up a position, Will Power's team retired from the race. Lap 53 started the next set of drivers entering pit lane for fuel and tires. Josef Newgarden and Metagross entered, with Pee Saderd, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay fur fuel. Chespin took the lead, and entered pit lane within lap 55 and lost the lead to Simon Pagenaud. However, Simon Pagenaud pitted on lap 56 and then Josef Newgarden took the lead again. On lap 61, Scott Dixon entered pit lane for fuel and dropped to P11 as a result. Jonathan Bald dropped out of the race on lap 75 as a result of mechanical issues on the rookie's car and then Larvesta moved up to 19th. 15th seeded Simon Pagenaud passed unseeded Ryan Hunter-Reay on lap 80. Josef Newgarden won the race, followed by Metagross, James Hinchcliffe and Pee Saderd who is no.1 seed in Neil deGrasse Tyson vs. Rick Fox and Boy Band vs. Girl Group. Saderd's 4th place result is the first top five for Saderd in his racing career since he finished 3rd at the 2015 MAVTV 500, the best result for Saderd before his ankle injury, and also Saderd's best at IndyCar level since Texas. Trivia Category:2017 in sports Category:2017 in Canada Category:IndyCar